South Padre Island Vacation

I'll be gone for two weeks, taking a break. God Bless all of you!!

New and Improved!

The little girl was sitting in her father's lap as he read her a goodnight story. From time to time, she would take her eye's off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. By and by she was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke, "daddy, did God make you?" "Yes, sweetheart" he answered, "God made me a long time ago." "Oh she said," then "daddy, did God make me too?" "Yes, indeed honey" he assured her. "God made you just a little while ago." "Oh" she said. Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it now isn't he?"

Father's Day Letters

Dear Dad,
$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.
Love,Your $on


The Reply:(to the above)Dear Son,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Dad

Father's Day

Two humorous observations from Bill Cosby’s book, Fatherhood. He writes: Now that my father is a grandfather, he just can’t wait to give money to my kids.

But when I was his kid and I asked him for fifty cents, he would tell me the story of his life. How he got up at 5 A.M. when he was seven years old and walked twenty-three miles to milk ninety cows. And the farmer for whom he worked had no bucket, so he had to squirt the milk into his little hand and then walk eight miles to the nearest can. All for 5 cents a month. The result was that I never got my 50 cents.

But now he tells my children every time he comes into the house: “Well, lets see how much money old Granddad has got for his wonderful kids.” And the minute they take money out of his hands I call them over to me and I snatch it away from them. Because that is MY money.

The other story that Cosby tells that I like is the difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day. He insists that Mother's Day is a much bigger deal because Mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children: Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother's Day. You do that for me.

For Father’s Day I give each of my five kids $20 so that they can go out and by me a present——a total of $100. They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts. They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father’s Day I am walking around with new underwear and my kid’s are walking around with $90 worth of my change in their pockets.Technically we could argue that Father’s Day is not a religious holiday; but it is nonetheless important for us to recognize it.

Love For God!

My God, I love Thee; not because
I hope for heaven thereby,
Nor yet because who love Thee not
Are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails, and spear,
And manifold disgrace,
And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
Yea, death itself; and all for me
Who was thine enemy.
Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ,
Should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell;
Not from the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as Thyself hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord.
So would I love Thee, dearest Lord,
And in Thy praise will sing;
Solely because Thou art my God,
And my most loving King.

Francis Xavier, 1506-1552
Translated by Edward Caswall, 1814-1878.

Walking It Out!

Percentage of American's who own running shoes but don't run: 87%

Today, I will leave work, meet up with my husband and go for a two mile walk. This is a time for me to reflect, to pray, to listen. By the time I get finished, I am so invigorated I feel like I could take on anything. I started this routine to lose some weight, but also to relieve stress. I then I go for a swim just for the pure enjoyment of it.

I challenge my friends and family to get into a regular exercise routine. American Health is quoted as saying, "Regular exercise toughens the mind as well as the body. After working out three times a week for six months, one group was found to be 20% fitter. Bonus: they also scored 70% better in a test of complex decision making."

Now just for a laugh.....A retired couple decided that they should walk two miles a day to stay in shape. They chose to walk a mile out on a lonely country road so they would have no choice but to walk back. At the one-mile mark on their first venture, the man asked his wife, "Do you think you can make it back all right, or are you too tired?" "Oh, no," she said. "I'm not tired. I can make it fine." "Good," he replied. "I'll wait here. You go back, get the car and come get me."

STEWARDSHIP

Funny how a $100 "looks" so big when taken to church, but so small when taken to the mall.

Funny how long it takes to serve God for an hour, but how quickly a team plays 60 minutes of basketball.

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at church are, but how short they are when watching a movie.

Funny how people can't think of anything to say when they pray, but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how people get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra innings, but complain when a sermon is longer than the regular time.

Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back seat at church services.

Funny how people need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a church event into their schedule, but can adjust their schedule for other events at the last moment.

Funny how hard it is for people to learn a simple gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip.

Funny how people believe what the newspaper says, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, or to think, or to say, or do anything.

Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
FUNNY, ISN'T IT ?

Are you laughing? Are you thinking? Spread the Word and give thanks to the Lord for He is good!

Absolutes

At a recent gathering of seminary professors, one teacher reported that at his school the most damaging charge one student can lodge against another is that the person is being "judgmental."

He found this pattern very upsetting. "You can't get a good argument going in class anymore," he said. "As soon as somebody takes a stand on any important issue, someone else says that the person is being judgmental. And that's it. End of discussion. Everyone is intimidated!"

Many of the other professors nodded knowingly. There seemed to be a consensus that the fear of being judgmental has taken on epidemic proportions. Is the call for civility just another way of spreading this epidemic? If so, then I'm against civility. But I really don't think that this is what being civil is all about.

Christian civility does not commit us to a relativistic perspective. Being civil doesn't mean that we cannot criticize what goes on around us. Civility doesn't require us to approve of what other people believe and do. It is one thing to insist that other people have the right to express their basic convictions; it is another thing to say that they are right in doing so. Civility requires us to live by the first of these principles. But it does not commit us to the second formula.

To say that all beliefs and values deserve to be treated as if they were on a par is to endorse relativism -- a perspective that is incompatible with Christian faith and practice. Christian civility does not mean refusing to make judgments about what is good and true.

For one thing, it really isn't possible to be completely nonjudgmental. Even telling someone else that she is being judgmental is a rather judgmental thing to do!

This post is an excerpt from "Uncommon Decency" by Richard J. Mouw, I was reading this and thought how it applies to the times we live in. People seem to think if you speak up and say anything is right or wrong you are not being tolerant, or you are bigoted, judgmental, hating on someone or uneducated. However there is such things as Absolutes, God gave us a standard of right and wrong to live by, whether we want to acknowledge it or not, it is still Truth.

I AM WOMAN!

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Prov. 14:1

LatelyI have met so many women whom I have noticed have no clue. They are so caught up they don't care how they look, their stress levels have hit overload and they scream, yell, curse, have no self esteem. they are miserable and so is everyone around them.

Some I am sure have never had it together even as children because their parents didn't have it together, but there is such thing as personal responsibility. I mean look in the mirror and listen to yourself and when someone is trying to speak and calm you down, get a life, okay!!?? Sorry, but I am woman and I care, and I want women everywhere to care.

I am married, I work, have a ministry, children, then children from other parents, a mother who needs me, friends who call and want my time, yet I still evaluate and take note when I am not nourishing my own life. To be warm, compassionate, tender and gracious there has to be action and an awareness on my part. I love being a woman and I make time to pamper myself, this week I have scheculed appointments to get a manicure, to have my hair done, to have quiet time, fun time and to maintain balance in my life.

In order to be able to give selflessly, to nurture others, to give without seeking acknowledgement, I have to keep things in perspective, spending time with my creator and nourishing myself, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Taking time to live, to love, to laugh and to play.

I think as women we can get into the rut of doing what has to be done, in work or whatever pressures we are enduring and we forget to play, to have fun. I am sure men too can get too busy. Life places demands on our lives, technology has sped things up, more is going on than every before and we can become inundated with tasks and responsibilities.

I have certain things that can get me to the point I am overwhelmed, but I have always been one to stop and look at my current situation, evaluate and make changes, I am striving to be better, to do better and to become who God intended me to be.

I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman...and with proper balance I can be!

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I hope you all have a happy fun filled weekend. Hugs to all of you!!

Old Brain, Young Brain

As usual I have been reading alot and thinking, so here's my short post for today, something for you to think about.

Did you know they did a study on the brain of an eighty six year old and the brain of a twenty six year old and there was really no difference. The reason we deteriorate mentally is because of non use.

Also women are more right brained and men are left brained. No wonder we see things differently. Personally I think I am whole brained, but I do know some with half a brain. lol. Just joking, maybe I should say they use half of the half brain they have. Does that make sense.

Ok, here's what each side of the brain does....

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses logic detail oriented facts rule words and language present and past math and science can comprehend knowing acknowledges order/pattern perception knows object name reality based forms strategies practical safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses feeling"big picture" oriented imagination rules symbols and images present and future philosophy & religion can "get it" (i.e. meaning) believes appreciates spatial perception knows object function fantasy based presents possibilities impetuous risk taking

I could go into alot more detail but I like short posts, so you can do the research yourself. Take care and Hugs!!